So, I accidentally dyed my hair purple...

So today's post isn't something I can say I planned for... Like a lot of blonde haired ladies, when my hair is looking slightly brassy, I use a purple shampoo to freshen up my locks and keep those orange tones at bay. In the past 10 years that i've been bleach blonde, I've tried many a toner on my hair.

There are so many 'purple' or 'silver' shampoo's on the market, that without reading a review, you often don't know what you're going to get. You could say that i'm used to toning shampoo's not being very useful. I quite like the Touch Of Silver shampoo which you an often find in the pound shop, as well as the usual drugstores I like it, because it's weak enough to forget about leaving in your hair for 10 minutes and you'll have an even application. I've tried the L'oreal Professional Serie Silver shampoo when a hairdresser left me with brassy roots - they gave me a big bottle to compensate until they could get me back in to fix them. It was a thicker consistency than I expected, but smelt great, and toned nicely. I've ordered the Clairol Shimmer Lights which our American allies seem to rave about for platinum and silver locks, Although it left the hair patchy in places, I did however, put that down to a dodgy home dye!

A couple of months ago, I was asked if I'd like to try anything from the brand Fudge* and their range of hair products, I jumped at the chance to try a few out. The Clean Blonde Violet Toning Shampoo* seemed like a great product for my bleached, dehydrated, hair. The product is billed to 'balance out the yellow tones in your hair to give you a blonde tone you'll love. The shampoo leaves your hair hydrated, replenished, and perfectly clean'. Of course I wanted to try it... and of course, it sat in my drawer for months whilst I used up the other 2 bottles of toning shampoo I had on the go.

It was mid shower (no joke) Sunday Night, that I had a brainwave. I'd remembered the existence of the Fudge shampoo! So, I did what any self respecting woman would do - I opened the bathroom door and requested my partner to get it for me.

I used the shampoo, as directed - on wet hair, and applied it in an even application, the same way I usually apply toning shampoo. I split my hair into sections and applied the product. I kept the shampoo on for about 10 minutes or so before washing it off.... What happened next, when I saw my hair dry, in daylight for the first time, can only really be described in picture form, so I've recreated it for your benefit. 

I honestly, don't know what I expected to happen... but after the initial 'Oh shit, what have I done?!' I couldn't stop laughing. I wasn't bothered by the purple too much, It was just completely unexpected. After my Clairol Shimmer Lights patchy dye job, and a lot of googling, I worked hard at washing it a few times in head and shoulders which caused the colour to fade over a weekend - so I knew I could get rid of it this hair disaster... But it left me thinking, what If I leave it for a day before washing it out?

Although I hadn't intended for this to happen, After Applying my make up, and attempting to style my purple/blue/grey locks... something strange happened... I looked in the mirror and I sort of, almost, dare I say it - liked it? I decided to share a picture on twitter yesterday, and let's just say my twitter feed went a little crazy. I couldn't believe how many people liked it! Like actually thought it was good... which leaves me thinking... should I make it a little more permanent? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this colour! And if you have any hair mishap stories, i'd love to hear them! Let me know in the comments.

Em xxx

Dinner With.... 'Hello April'

'Dinner With...' is a series I've been looking forward to starting since I first shared the idea with you all a couple of weeks ago. I love going out for dinner and talking all things food, life and internet related. One of my goals for 2015, was to get out more, meet new people and have more fun. I'm hoping to post one 'Dinner With...' every month, where I'm planning on meeting up and hanging out with the writers behind the blogs I love. 

I decided to invite April to my first ever 'Dinner With...' as April was one of the first friends I made in the blogging world. We live seconds away from each other in Central London and often meet up and attend events together.  As I'm currently on a plant based diet- having swapped processed foods for fresh, organic foods. Chocolate for Cacao and caramel for Medjool dates... there was only one place I had in mind to go out to Dinner - Vantra Vitao. In case you didn't know, Vantra is a healthy plant based Vegan restaurant that caters to not only those with mainstream dietary requirements but also those lesser known allergies and intolerance's.

However, on arrival... it seemed Vantra didn't get the memo, and were sadly closed upon our arrival - without any mention of this happening on their website or social media channels. After a lot of expletives, we popped across the road to Primark to indulge in a little retail therapy. I picked up the 'Central Perk' friends Tee which you can see me wearing in my most recent video as well as a e candles from the home section. I was hoping to grab a few pairs of casual flat shoes, but wasn't feeling anything in the range available.

We decided to head to Mildreds (Vegetarian Restaurant) in Soho, and after a ten minute walk, we discovered that it was so busy - you couldn't even get through the door. Perhaps they all found out Vantra was closed too? 

At this point we were starving, so had a 'Screw it' moment and walked a few doors down to Wagamamas - where we discovered their fabulous 'catwalk' entrance walk way.

It may have taken 3 restaurants, and a lot longer than I expected to actually eat something that wasn't going to hurt me (Food Intolerance's), but I eventually settled on the (Yasai Cha Han) brown rice bowl minus a couple of foods I can't eat.

If golden beige food is what you're after... then this is the meal for you. I don't consider myself a picky eater, but I did struggle to find something on the menu that was suitable for my dietary requirements and had I read the menu before heading in there - I likely wouldn't have chosen it as a restaurant. The Edamame beans on the other hand... were amazing. 

I'll admit, at this point in the evening, and being at our third restaurant - any thought of blogging questions went out the window... Instead, we focused just on enjoying ourselves, and having fun. We had a chance to talk about thing we want to improve on our blogs, things we hope to achieve and generally finding happiness with our blogs.  For instance, April found happiness when her Chili Chicken Ramen arrived. (Don't kill me April)

Not forgetting that an evening out with another blogger isn't complete without a bathroom selfie, we made sure we headed to the mirror to grab one. Although the evening didn't quite go as planned, which means that I didn't get a chance to ask April any of the 'Dinner With...' questions, we still had a great evening. Sometimes you need to go 'off piste' every so often to remind you what it is that you want to focus on and although the evening didn't technically go as planned, I feel like we both took a lot away from it. 

Em xxx

A Few Of My Favourite Things!

I promised that in 2015, i'd have more fun, take life less seriously and learn to let go. I also made a promise to myself to make more YouTube videos, fix my hair, improve my confidence, meet new people and make new friends! 

So with the list of everything I'd like to achieve on a personal basis in 2015,  I got thinking about things I was thankful for, and also the things that I do enjoy and the places I love.

I'm really hoping that you guys can get to know me a little better this year, and as soon as I came across the 'A Few Of My Favourite Things Tag' I thought it was the perfect video to start with in 2015. So without further ado,  here are A Few of my Favourite Things!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this video! Let me know in the comments, and if you haven't already - don't forget to subscribe! 

Em xxx

Bourjois Colour Boost - Plum Russian Review

Every time that I try a new Bourjois Make Up product - I worry that their winning streak will come to an end and a product will finally let me down. Luckily that didn't happen on this product, as I feel like I fell in love with it from the moment I opened the tube. The Bourjois Colour Boost, Glossy Finish Lipstick - Plum Russian* is a gorgeous deep berry/plum shade and perfect if you're looking for a new winter lip shade to compliment your pale skin. 

One of the things I love about this lip product, is how convenient it is to use as a 'grab and go' lip colour. They apply incredibly easily, evenly, and they even give you the chance to layer them up to create a stronger colour when needed!

In terms of formula, i'd say it's as easy to apply as a lipbalm - with the shine of a gloss, and the colour of a stain. The texture isn't gloopy, and even after the top layer of 'gloss' has gradually worn off, the stain remains, most importantly in a consistent manner. 

At £7.99 It's an absolute steal, and one you'll be seeing on the blog a lot this season as it's just so versatile and easy to wear.

Have you tried any of the Colour Boost range? I'd love to hear which are your favourites!

Em xxx

The Best Bargain Eyeliner.

If there's one thing I've learnt over the past year of blogging, it's that you don't always have to spend a fortune on a product to find one that works perfectly for you. The Collection Extreme 24hr Felt Liner £2.99  is a product that I find hard to live without, and if i'm wearing eyeliner, it's the first product I reach for.  

What I love about the eyeliner is that the tip isn't too firm, and works with you. I've noticed with numerous eyeliners that I can struggle to get a perfect winged eye if I'm constantly fighting against the product. If the tip is too hard, then it can drag across the eye, and if it's too soft your stroke can wobble meaning you'll have an almost messy line. The collection Extreme Felt Liner works well because although the tip has some structure - it offers movement too! 

The eyeliner applies west, and dries super fast- without bleeding and lasts all day - which is perfect if you don't have time or just don't want to use a primer. However, like most products there are some negatives too. I really wish Collection would plastic wrap their eyeliners as when you buy them in the shop, you have no idea how many people have swatched the product or opened it before you take it home. I also find that within around a month or two. the tip has started to dry out. to get it working again, I find pressing it onto the edge of the lid works - but this isn't a great fix. 

I love this eyeliner, and although I find myself constantly swooning over the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner, I don't have a trip to the states planned any time soon, so Collection - you'll be staying in my make up bag for good.

I'd love to hear about your favourite eyeliner! Let me know what products you can't live without in the comments.

Em xxx

Why I want 2015 to be less serious and more fun filled.

Hi, I'm Em, and I've become a bore.

Phew.

There, I've said it.

In my old age.. (twenties) I seem to have forgotten how to have fun, and that, quite frankly makes me sad. There are a few factors that have caused me to forget how to have fun and some of those have occurred over the past few years. Alongside those however,  are a few more serious things that have happened in my life to change me completely as a person - but now isn't the time for stories.

I have a process driven creative job, which means that although I get to think up and make fun films for a living - it also means that I always have a team of people relying on me, and I am always wary of deadlines, schedules, budgets, and responsibilities. I've even turned into one of those horrendous people that, gulp, worries about health and safety. I'm not even joking when I say that I actually told my partner he had to gaffer tape a temporary piece of carpet down in a half finished conservatory over Christmas because of health and safety.

I feel like I spend so much of my time being serious that sometimes I have to stop and really think about when the last time I laughed, like *really* laughed was - and often I can't remember. Which truly makes me sad.

With that in mind, I want to make 2015 the year in which I really focus on not only moving forward with my goals, ambitions and personal growth. But the year in which I truly find my confidence.

I grew so much in 2014. This time last year, I hadn't even started  this blog and that feels just so surreal to me. I can't remember what I used to fill my time with before it!

2015 is  the year in which I - a self confessed 'I'd rather stay at home and look at cat pictures on the internet' person, want to get out more, meet new people and and learn to have fun. With that in mind, I've worked out a way to do just that and take you along with me. I'm starting a brand new lifestyle series all about getting out, and having fun - meeting new people and of featuring one of my true loves in life - food.

Every month from here on in, I'll be writing a 'Dinner With.....' Post. Where i'll be heading out to dinner with a friend, new or old - and getting to know them a little better. I'll have a set of questions I'm hoping to put to each dinner guest and of course I'll be taking pictures to share with you. If I'm lucky, who knows - I may even be able to persuade a few blogging super stars to have dinner with me! If you don't ask, you don't get... right?

Em xxx

Drugstore Haulin!

Sometimes I feel like I can go weeks without spending money on make up and then it all gets a little bit much and I just want to buy all the things. That seemed to happen again between Christmas and New years, what with my Kiko Haul, and Real Techniques haul brushes haul.
It would appear that New Years Eve was also the day to buy liquid eyeliner and nude lip supplies as I came away from boots, with not one, but three different varieties of eyeliners in 2 different brands as well as two nude lip products from different brands.

From Collection I picked up the Extreme 24hr Felt Tip Liner £2.99 as well as the Fast Stroke Liner £2.99. I love the Felt Tip Liner and it's my weapon of choice for when doing any sort of flicked eyeliner. I also haven't played around with a 'dip' style liquid eyeliner in a while I thought It would be fun to do some experimenting and seeing what I can come up with.

From Maybelline I chose the Tantalizing Taupe Lipstick £6.99 from the Maybelline Coloursens Nude Lipstick Range and also I really liked the look of the Master Precise liquid Eyeliner £5.99 which is actually a felt tip liner) and it didn't bleed when swatched in store - meaning it made it's way straight into the basket.

Finally from No 7 I chose the Precision Lips Pencil in Nude £6.75 as I just loved how the two products swatched together on my hand - plus, you can never have too many lip liners - especially of the drug store variety - we all know how hard they are to come by.

So that's my nude lip and eyeliner mini haul! I'd love to hear your thoughts on my buys. Have you tried any of them before? Let me know in the comments.

Em xxx

Subtle Everyday Sparkle Eyes

Even though Christmas and New Years Eve is well and truly over, I just can't stop reaching for the shimmer and sparkles to make eyeshadow stand out that little bit more. I always find myself reaching for taupes and muted colours for an everyday wear that is pulled together and professional for work, but also gives me a that little bit of something something that represents the beauty blogger inside me trying to get out. 

I started this look as a normal every day soft taupe eye and finished it by pressing over the centre glitter from my Bourjois Rock This Khaki* Eyeshadow from the Smokey Stories Collection. 

 I love how the green hued glitter and the smokey taupes blend together to start my day off with a little bit of a shimmy. 

Here's the full list of what I'm wearing:

Foundation: Nars Sheer Glow - Siberia

Concealer: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - Chantilly

Contour: NYX Blusher - Taupe

Eyebrows: Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade - Medium Brown

Eyeshadow: (Base) Make Up Revolution Salvation - What You Waiting for? Palette

Eyeshadow: (Lid) Bourjois Smokey Stories - Rock This Khaki Glitter*

Eyeliner: Collection  Extreme 24Hr Felt Liner -Black

Eyelashes: Total Minks - Smouldering Minks Lashes*

Lipstick: Make Up Revolution - Dazzle Lipstick

Lipgloss: Sleek - Gloss Me Cranberry Crush

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this look, let me know in the comments.

Em xxx

The Must Have Winter Nail Polish

I enjoy wearing nail varnish just as much as the next girl, but I can't say I've even fallen in love with a Nail Polish shade - until now. Only Fingers And Toes are a London based luxury Nail Polish brand and I have fallen head over heals in love with their Krypton Nail Polish*

At £16.00, It's pricey if you're used to purchasing drug store polishes but in terms of quality, it's far from it's lower cost comparison. Krypton* is a beautiful taupey nude shade that I finsh compliments my pale skin perfectly. It's one of those great hybrid polishes that can make you appear professional and groomed at the office - but if you add a few midi rings and some statement bracelets and you're bang on trend for AW14.

It applies like a dream, and has a wonderful staying power, paired with the Ciate Speed Coat Top Coat* I found the polish lasted a week before it began to chip, and on my peeling nails - that's almost unheard of. 

A great product that has well and truly become my winter staple. I'd love to hear what shades you're wearing this Winter! Let me know in the comments. 

Em xxx

The Bloggers Guide to Camera Lenses - Introduction

One aspect of blogging I get asked about the most, by email or twitter is Photography. I love taking blog photos, it's something I enjoy the most about blogging. Although at times it can be frustrating, and take forever to arrange items in a composition you're happy with - but when you get it 'right' and can look back at a photo with pride and admiration it's one of the most rewarding feelings. 

Now, let me just tell you that do not by any means need a DSLR to be a blogger, in fact, I took the photograph of the lenses using my iPhone for example... but this series will focus on DSLR photography and lenses. 

One thing many people ask me the most is what camera I use to take photos, and what lights I use - yet the question I often get asked the least, and in my opinion the most important aspect of a photography kit is actually the lens. Over the past year one thing that I've found help me with my photography frustration is realizing how important it is to have 'the right tool, for the right job' - for instance, you wouldn't try to put a square peg in a round hole, so don't try and force a lens to work for you in a way it was never meant to.  I spent so long struggling to get my images to look how I wanted them to, and it was only after I tried a different lens did my eyes become opened to the world of photography and I could truly appreciate it that little bit more. 

I do however want to make it very clear that you do not need to spend hundreds or even thousands of pounds on camera equipment to become a successful blogger or photographer, and If I wasn't in a fortunate position due to my job and some amazing Christmas gifts I would not have the camera kit I have today.

Disclaimer

This post or series is in no way meant to be a brag about my camera kit, or how much any of it costs. I just want to say that I am in no means a photography expert, or tutor, and I'm sure that there are many more qualified people in the blogging world who could write these posts, I wanted to give back and share what I've learnt over the past year. Only half of these lenses belong to me, some of them belong to my work and as a perk of my job I'm able to use them outside of work for my own use

.  

Camera

 I have a Canon 600D which I received for Christmas in 2013 and it's the camera I use for all my blogging and YouTube and videos.

When I received my camera, I had no idea how to use it, and found trying to work out how to take photographs on manual the most frustrating thing - partly due to being impatient and expecting photographs to be 'right' straight away, without putting in the hard work. 

Lenses

So here's the deal. Each week I'm going to talk you through 6 different lenses that can be used for blogging and i'll be showing you the difference in images you'll get with each lens and answering any questions you may have about them. I'll also be giving you my pro's and con's for each lens - specifically for blogging.

The Lenses we'll be talking about are as follows:

Canon 40mm f/2.8 Lens - £121.25 (amazon)

Canon 50mm f/1.4 Lens - £249.95 (amazon)

Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens - £108.42 (amazon)

Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 Lens - £326.49 (amazon)

Tamrom 24-70mm f/2.8 Lens - £749.00 (amazon)

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS Lens - £1,018.99 (amazon)

Over To You

I want to get as much information into this series as possible, and I think my twitter had a mini melt down when I mentioned I was going to be starting this series with people already thanking me before I even published this first post.

So here's where you come in, I want to make this as helpful as possible, so if there are any lens specific questions or there's anything in particular you'd like to know or want me to include in each post, please do let me know in the comments. There are no stupid questions here, and I'm happy to help in anyway I can.

Em xxx

Kiko Eyeshadow Haul!

One of the first things I did after getting home to London following a long Christmas in South Wales, was to head straight to the stores and satisfy any new make up cravings I had. Over the past few months I've discovered a new found love for bright shimmering eye shadows, as I find they compliment my pale skin. When looking to invest in a few new colours, there was only one store I could think of that had a whole heap of shades in bright colours, that were high in quality and reasonably priced and that was Kiko. 

I love the huge range that's available in Kiko Stores, but more importantly -I love the price tag. Everything is just so affordable, and you don't feel bad if you decide to pick up quite a few different products. I bought 5 products and the total came to £34.90 which I found incredibly resonable considering the quality and shades I came away with. So, without further ado, here's what I bought!

KIKO Water Eyeshadow Shade #212 Emerald Green - £8.90

What attracted me to the Kiko Water Eyeshadows is first of all how shimmery and luminescent they were. The colours just seemed to sparkle in the store and stood out so much to me. I also really liked that these shadows are so versatile, and can be used both wet and dry. At £8.90 it was the most expensive item in my haul. It was a risky purchase, as I'm not usually one for blue or green eyeshadow for an everyday wear, but I just love how beautiful they look in photos.

Kiko Street Glam Eyeshadow and Eyeliner Palette #02 - £5.00

In the sale section of the store, I noticed the Kiko Street Glam Eyeshadow and Eyeliner Palette. at only £5.00 and featuring 5 different shades, It would have been foolish not to pick it up. these shadows are gorgeous and shimmery - and like the watercolour eyeshadow, they can also be worn wet or dry. As far as using them as an eyeliner, I'm not sure I would get that much use from them, but i'm willing to give it a shot and try something new. 

Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow Shade #15 - £6.90

I'm really into the Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow range from Kiko, and already have quite a few in my collection. I adored this frosted pink shade and thought it would look beautiful in a smoked out eye.

Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow Shade #20 - £6.90

One thing I can't stand about a deep black smokey eye, is the fallout from black eyeshadow when trying to blend it. When I saw theLong Lasting black eyeshadow stick, I had to have it. I have high hopes for this and am really hoping that the creamy consistency will make it a lot easier to blend and save me from the clean up.

Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow Shade #43 - £6.90

My final pick and purchase was the Long Lasting Eyeshadow stick in Shade #43 which is a beautiful icey blue. For some reason I seemed to be on a blue and green eyeshadow binge this day, and couldn't resist adding another to my collection. I'm looking forward to trying out new looks with this shade.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of the products I purchased, which you liked the most and least! Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Em xxx